Having been intrigued by Les Misérables for years, I was excited to get my hands on this Manga Classics version—it felt like a natural next step to gaining the courage to tackle the original book. What a story!

This was my first manga read, but it won’t be my last. I did struggle with the artistic style a little (I didn’t feel like it was always that modest), but other than that, this book seems to stay true to the original story. It somehow manages to preserve the complexity of the plot and characters, but do it in a concise, easy-to-understand way. I don’t know how Chan and the team did it, but I’m impressed!

I fell in love with Cossette and Marius all over again, felt my heart bleed a little for Fantine, and admired Jean Valjean’s courage, love, and tenacity all over again. This is a story of realistic people in an uncertain time, and while it shows a glimpse into the depths of depravity humans can stoop to, it also shows a ray of hope—that good can come out of the darkness.

A worthwhile read—one you’ll likely never forget. Highly recommended!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it. ( )

I hadn't ready Les Miserable before this. It has been on my TBR list for a long time. When I saw this adaptation of it, I knew I had to try it. I am a new manga reader. I love the graphics and the style of manga. I didn't realize what I was missing. The story is beautiful. I think I'll have to read the written version now.

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.* ( )

This book was absolutely amazing. Les Mis is one of my favorite plays plus I love manga, so I was really excited when someone have me a copy of this for Christmas this year!! I was singing along to the songs as certain events were happening and since it was a retelling and not a rendition the book was pretty spot on. Nothing seemed out of place, it was a very good and enjoyable representation of Les Misérables. The only thing I would have enjoyed better was a teensy but more ABC guys page time. The only ither negative thing I have to say is that the character design for Javert bothered me a little bit too because he had these two hair curls that's came down like bangs and I'd always pictured him has short haired, clean-cut but it wasn't that big of a deal. All in all a 5-star book! ( )

I'm not a big comic book reader, but I like to try something new which is why I decided to read this Manga when I found it on Netgalley.

At first it really confused me. I've seen the movie version of Les Miserables with Hugh Jackamn and the Manga started with the end! I didn't understant anything until I tried to look in the back of the book. Thankfully, there was a guide to tell my how to read Manga. I felt like and idiot (still do!).

Once I started reading it like it is supposed to, I really enjoyed it. Since I know the story, I spend a lot of time admiring the drawing. Tszmei Lee is very talented and the book is beautiful in both drawing and story. I especially adored the way the love between Marius and Cosette is drawn – so amazing and so captivating.

I would love to read more classics drawn by Tszmei Lee and I think the idea is brilliant! ( )

I usually don't read graphic novels, but when I do it's usually at the urging of a friend. I have, however, read Les Miserables and was deeply impressed. I was really pretty stunned by the story and left thinking it was the greatest book ever written. In fact, my complete five-star review of the book reads "Possibly the best novel ever written. Wow." Not my longest or most descriptive review, but one of the most honest. A very good friend of mine has been reading Les Miserables for quite a while now and keeps me up to date with her progress and bringing up points I have forgotten about in the last few years. So, I picked up this Magna Classic as a refresher.

First this is written in the Japanese standard style. The reader will start at what would be the last page of a Western book and proceed "backwards" and read from right to left. I have an electronic copy so other than reading right to left I just wipe my finger opposite and do not notice a difference.

Les Miserables is about 1,500 pages of prose and converting that into a graphic novel would seem like a challenge in itself. This book contains three hundred and fifty illustrated pages. I was expecting this edition to be the equivalent of a movie of a great book and be a disappointment. I very wrong in my initial judgment of the book. The key points and the spirit of the story are fully intact in this version of the book. The art adds to the limited words and gives a fuller grasp of the story and themes than one would expect.

The art is good and falls into the manga style. Javert has two spikes of hair that stick out in front of his face. Jean seems more Western in appearance. Most important is the portrayal of Cosette. For me, and I would imagine for many, the Émile Bayard's 1886 engraving of little Cosette sweeping with an enormous broom is burned into my brain. Many who are nor familiar with the book easily recognize the engraving as Les Miserables. In the manga edition, Cosette keeps all her charisma, but with a slight anime touch to it. Very well done.

I have not seen the recent Les Miserables movie for fear of ruining a great book experience. I took a change with Manga Classics version of the book and was not disappointed. Yes, things were left out and not explained thoroughly, but the essence of the novel was captured and it remained true to the themes of the book. This version can clearly stand on its own, probably better than any movie. I am a bit torn recommending it to those who have not read the original novel. The novel is a masterpiece of literature that should be read. However, in this age not many people are willing to read a 1,500 page novel. Likewise, some will be turned off at a 350 page graphic novel. But, if you cannot not find the time to read the original. Read this. It captures the magic of the story.
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